Beaches

Life in the Indiana Dunes is like a day at the beach. That’s because we have 15 beautiful miles of award-winning shoreline to explore and nine oh-so-swimmable beaches. Start your day with a hike up a sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan, and end it on the beach below. Fire up the grill and air-dry with a lakeside BBQ, cast a line from the nearby fishing pier and reel in dinner, and somewhere between the windswept tall grasses and your sand-scrubbed feet, you’ll be enchanted by the magic of the Indiana Dunes.

Browse Indiana Dunes Beaches

Safety and Beach Closures

Nine beaches, 15 miles of coastline, and one Great Lake. There are so many elements that make the Indiana Dunes one of the Midwest’s top destinations, the most important being the safety of…

Indiana Dunes Parks

The Indiana Dunes National Park and the Indiana Dunes State Park offer access to dune-lined shores and endless outdoor adventures. Here you can explore beaches, dunes, prairies, oak savannas, wetlands, rivers, bogs, and forests. In the two parks' combined 17,000+ acres, nearly 2,000 different species of plants and animals have been identified. That makes Indiana Dunes one of the most biodiverse areas in the United States!

Indiana Dunes National Park

Walk on glacial sands, pushed and pulled by time into dunes nearly 250 feet high. Paddle across a 300-mile-long lake with waves and scenery that rival the Atlantic.

Indiana Dunes State Park

Sand, shore, and the space to breathe—over 2,000 acres of it! This isn’t your run of the mill state park, it’s a place shaped by thousands of years of shifting landscapes and…

Backpacks For Naturalists

The Indiana Dunes is one of the most biodiverse parks in the U.S., and the Backpacks for Naturalists program offers free explorer backpacks for daily use.

A white dog sits next to its owner on a log in the sand.

Pet Friendly Dunes

We believe lakeside fun shouldn’t just be reserved for the two-legged kind. Here, you and your furry friend will find plenty of sites, attractions, and accommodations.

Beaches a month ago

A stone and wooden pavilion with a fireplace sites in the middle of yellow flowers and greenery.

Accessible Adventures in the Indiana Dunes

5 minute read

Accessible Adventures in the Indiana Dunes Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you're looking to hike, bird, paddle, or just wander and take in the…

Birding 2 months ago

Getting Warmed Up with the Rough-legged Hawk

6 minute read

My ninety-year-old neighbor used to tell me that he was going out fishing… not catching, but fishing. It’s about the experience, he’d tell me. And that is how it is with…

Itineraries 2 months ago

A square plate sits on a table with ribs, cross-cut potatoes, and pancakes. A beer, silverware, and salt and pepper shakers sit on the table.

Unique Ideas for Celebrating Valentine’s Day in the Indiana Dunes Area

3 minute read

It’s not that we don’t love a day about love; it’s just that Valentine’s Day can be...typical. Roses and fancy dinners, champagne, and sunsets—enough to make…